Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



T..P. GrOULD.4v

' Magazine Fir'e'Y-Arm.

No. 26,734. l Patented Jan. s, 1860.

Inviata,-

N'FETEHS. PHoaLprMoGRAFnER; WASHINGTON n C UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

THEODOEE P. GOULD, OF NIAGARA FALLS, ASSIGNOE TO STEPHEN v. E. WATSON, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN BR'EEcH-LOA'DING FIRE-ARMS;

Specilicat-ion forming part of Letters Patent No. 26,734, dated January 3, 1860.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, THEODORE P. GoULD, of Niagara Falls, county of Niagara, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breech Loading` Riiles and I do hereby declare that the following' is a f'ull and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Figure I is a Side elevation of my improved breech-loading gun. Fig. II is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. III is a longitudinal section, the sliding breech being moved down and the parts in position for loading. Fig. IV is a plan of sliding breech, part of the stock, and barrel.

By reference to thesevligures it will be seen that my invention consists iu the arrangement of a powdermagazine, A, running lengthwise under the barrel of the gun B, and ot' a ball-magazine, C, in the stock of the gun, and also ot" a sliding breech, D, by which, in combination with the above, I am enabled to feed the ball into the barrelof the gun and the powder into the sliding breech, the sliding breech being manipulated so as to allow the ball to pass over into the barrel of the gun when the chamber of lthe breech is brought on a line with the powder-magazine. rIhe chamber may then be charged with powder from the magazine and carried back into line with the barrel and behind the ball. v

The powder-magazine A consists of a cylindrical metal tube, made as light as may be consistent with required strength. Itis secured to the under side of the barrel B, and should be nearly of the same length. It may be filled with powder by removing the screw-stopple c. Near its inner or breech end it is furnished with a charger, e, Which holds a sufficient charge of powder, or enough to fill the chamber in the sliding breech, and by simply turning which such quantity may be discharged into said chamber.

The ball-magazine C consists cfa metal tube inserted into the stock of the gun, and capable of holding' about the same number of balls as the powder-magazine is capable of holding charges of powder. A lid, c', closes the mouth of the tube at which the balls are putin.

The stock of the gun consists ot a wooden portion, F, formed andshapedin the ordinary manner, and a cast-iron part, G, connecting the wooden part to the barrel of the gun. This cast-iron part has a rectangular mortise, E, made in it near its connection with the barrel of the gun. The sliding breech D moves in this mortise. It has a chamber, d', which receives the charge of powder. The breech D may be moved from having this chamber on a line with the bore of the barrel until it comes on a line with the powder-magazine. The means for moving it consists of the trigger-guard H, which is converted into a lever, having a fulcrum at h', and connected to the sliding breech by the links t' e'. When shut it is held by the catch j. The chamber d in the sliding breech is made larger. than the bore of the barrel, and a collar of caststeel, k, is fitted tightly into it. The inner circle of this collar or ring is ot the same size as the bore of the barrel. It extends only about one-third of the distance into the chamber. Around this collar a second collar or ring of brass, l, is fitted. The steel ring naturally expands as it becomes heated by repeated tiring, while the brass ring from the same cause contracts and prevents the steel ring from expanding. The steel ring also projects slightly from the front face of the slidin g breech D, and with the brass ring should form a circular angular groove. An internal screw is cut in that part of the stock Gr in front .of the mortise. The breech end ofthe barrel has a corresponding screw-thread cut upon it. When screwed in, the end of the barrel should lit closely into the angular groove formed by the brass and steel rings or collars, as shown in Fig. II. When the barrel is in this position the sliding breech cannot be moved, and the contact between the breech andbarrel will be so close as to prevent all windage at that point.

The operation of loading is as't'ollows: The left hand should grasp the barrel at any convenient distance infront of the charger e, and the right hand hold of the breech, as usual. With the left hand the barrel should then be Abe stopped by the catch g.

unscrewed one entire revolution. A springstop, m, prevents it from turning more than this, and holds it until it is wished to turn it back. The barrel is shown in this position in Fig. III. The sliding breech will now be released, and with the right hand the triggerguard H may then be thrown down, moving the sliding breech until the chamber D comes nearly 011 a line with the powder-magazine, when it is stopped by the spring-catch g. At the same time the muzzle of the gun should be thrown downward, so that as the sliding breech moves down and uncovers the ball-magazine C, which opens into the mortise, a ball will be allowed to run out over the top of the sliding breech and under the bridge rn, and partly into the barrel. A feeder, o, allows only one ball to issue from the magazine at each downward motion of the sliding breech D. The breech D may then be moved a slight distance tarther, or until the chamber (l comes on a line with the powder-magaziiie, when it will again This latter movement, by carrying the bridge across the bore of the gun, forces the ball into the barrel. The muzzle of the gun should then be raised and the charger 0 turned by the right hand. The gun being held perl'iendicular, or nearly so, the powder will run directly into the chamber d, a hole, P, being bored in the part G in front ot' the mortise, through which it passes. The trigger-guard H should then be brought back by the right hand and the chamber d Y brought on a line with the bore of the barrel.

The barrel should then be screwed back one entire revolution, causing its end to iit into the circular angular groove, as before described. The nipple Q is placed on the sliding breech, and, ot' course, communicates with the chainber d. By capping the nipple the gun will be ready to fire.

To prevent all chance of the powder in the magazine becoming ignited, place a valve, R, at the end of the tube forming the magazine, and arrange it in such a Way that when the barrel is unscrewed it will open and allow the charge to pass if the charger is turned; but when the barrel is screwed back, and the gun is ready to tire, the valve will close and it tightly over the mouth of the tube, thus preventing all chance of ignitin g the powder in the magazine by the discharge of the gun.

By repeating this operation the gun may be red as many times as the magazines will hold charges, which in this case is about fifty (50,) and at the rate of about twelve (l2) shots per minute.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The relative arrangement of the powdermagazine A, the ball-magazine C, and the sliding breech D, for the purposes oi' a breechloading gun, substantially as herein set forth.

2. I claim so arranging the valve R in relation to the barrel B and stock Gr that when the barrel is unscrewed in the act of loading the said valve will open automatically, and when the barrel is turned back to its place the said valve will close automatically and tit tightly over the mouth of the tube, thus preventing all danger ot` ignitin g the powder in the magazine by the discharge of the gun, substantially as herein described.

THEODORE P. GOULD. Witnesses:

W. H. FoRBUsn, A. M. WHEELER. 

